


Selfish Equals Bad Guys (Except When They're Not)

by ArgentDandelion



Category: Green Lantern (Comics), Green Lantern: The Animated Series
Genre: Analysis, Anger, Gen, Nonfiction, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-23
Updated: 2013-10-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22502161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentDandelion/pseuds/ArgentDandelion
Summary: Points out that, although one might expect bad guys to be selfish, the ostensibly good Star Sapphires are selfish and the Red Lanterns are occasionally unselfish. Made by merging three small posts into one.
Kudos: 5





	Selfish Equals Bad Guys (Except When They're Not)

There is a pattern among Lantern Corps’ position on the Emotional Spectrum. Selfish emotions tend to fall to the right of Green/Willpower, while less-selfish or selfless emotions fall to the left. Furthermore, the members of Lantern Corps corresponding to “selfless” emotions tend to be “good guys”, while those who use more selfish emotions tend to be “bad guys”.

It’s not so simple as “left-of-green equals good guy, right-of-green equals bad guy”, however. Both the Star Sapphires and the Red Lantern Corps have members which don’t fit into their alignment at one point, and both can become misled to the point of representing something they did not mean to represent.

\----

**Star Sapphires**

–

In GLTAS, the Star Sapphires, with the exception of Ghia'ta, were originally “bad guys”, which is quite contrary to their position on the emotional spectrum. They were not aware that they were operating under a false understanding of love. This false understanding was selfish, as Carol Ferris explains below:

> **Ghia'ta** : “Carol Ferris, you can keep him [Hal] here, safe from harm, safe from the war. The power of your love can hold him here.”
> 
> **Carol Ferris** : “Oh, honey, that’s not love. That’s selfishness. Real love is sacrifice, putting another’s needs before your own, doing what’s best for the person you love.”

After being taught a true understanding of love in “…In Love and War”, Ghia'ta tried to tell Queen Aga'po that they had “been laboring under an imperfect understanding of love”.[1](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/64933787046/selfish-equals-bad-guysexcept-when-theyre-not#fn:1)  
Initially, Queen Aga'po would not listen. As explanation for the Star Sapphires’ actions in trapping men on their planet, Aga'po said, “men spread war. The Star Sapphires bring the gift of love. The galaxy will know peace when all men have been gentled by love’s violet light.”

While there is some merit to Aga'po’s statement that “men spread war” (judging by Earth history), it’s still prejudiced to imply that all men spread war. Indeed, considering the potential diversity of alien societies in one apparently well-peopled galaxy, it’s extremely prejudiced to imply that all men spread war unless Aga'po knows the behavior of every male sentient being in the galaxy. (which she does not, in case the reader in wondering.)

Furthermore, it’s not loving at all for Aga'po to decide to kill Razer because he is “dead inside” and has no use as fuel. Perhaps it could be interpreted as a weird kind of compassion, and the intended kill a “mercy kill”, but it is not loving by either Aga'po’s or Carol Ferris’s understanding.

\---

**Red Lanterns**

–

Razer is an exception to the “Red Lanterns are bad guys” pattern. He is a well-known and well-analyzed character, so there is little need to discuss him in this post. (unless there is demand for it)

Atrocitus, as his Corps alignment suggests, is a “bad guy”. Though he puts his desires before others, he may not be entirely selfish. It was not merely his homeworld that was destroyed by Manhunters, but Zilius Zox’s homeworld, and many others. However, it is possible that Red Lanterns each operate selfishly and only have a common enemy.

People do not become angry only for offenses or injustices directed at themselves. People can also become angry if there is unfairness directed at someone else. People who become angry at the unfairness directed at others can become activists, and while Atrocitus is no activist, he is certainly actively pursuing a cause. Manhunters did not merely insult him or take his belongings. They _killed everyone on his planet_. It’s unclear whether he believes revenge will make _him_ feel better–in which case his revenge is selfish–or it will soothe the restless souls of his planet’s/the Manhunter-ravaged planets’ dead.[1](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/64933973498/selfish-equals-bad-guys-except-when-theyre-not#fn:3)

In “Homecoming”, Skallox moves in front of his “teammates”, Bleez and Veon, and produces a shield construct in an attempt to protect them.  
While shield constructs are uncommon among Red Lanterns, this is not because shield constructs themselves are inherently selfless. Skallox could have made a shield construct only for himself, but instead Skallox, seemingly with no calculations of the pros and cons for the action in the sake of his own interests, attempts to protect Bleez and Veon. Skallox plays only a small role and, judging from what has been shown, speaks very little.[2](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/64933973498/selfish-equals-bad-guys-except-when-theyre-not#fn:2) Thus, it is impossible to determine if Skallox is more selfless than typical for Red Lanterns or if he was feeling atypically selfless that day.

* * *

  1. Note that she began with “imperfect”, rather than “false”. Clearly she “softened” the message by making the distinction less binary. Only after she had stated that they had been laboring under an imperfect understanding of love did she specify Carol Ferris’s understanding of true love. [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/64933787046/selfish-equals-bad-guysexcept-when-theyre-not#fnref:1)

  2. For context, in “Homecoming”, when Hal asks Atrocitus to “let us [the Guardians and/or the Green Lanterns] help”, Atrocitus says this: “You can help, Earth man. Your dying screams will help soothe the restless souls of our dead!" [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/64933973498/selfish-equals-bad-guys-except-when-theyre-not#fnref:3)

  3. His only lines are: "Not working.” (Flight Club) “Where warden.”/“Where warden?” (Flight Club) [↩︎](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/post/64933973498/selfish-equals-bad-guys-except-when-theyre-not#fnref:2)




**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my [Tumblr](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/). Feel free to comment on this article there or here.


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